Cal/OSHA Respiratory Protection Training Course

Title 8 CCR, Section 5144 Online Training Certification

The goal of this course is to help you understand the atmospheric hazards you may encounter in the workplace and the best ways to protect yourself. We will discuss how to select the right respirator for the job; how to make sure a respirator fit properly; how to keep respirators clean, disinfected, and in good repair; and the medical evaluations that may be necessary to monitor and protect the health of workers. This course will also provide an overview of the California general-industry respiratory protection standard.

YourselfSelect this if you are purchasing this course to take yourself. It will automatically be assigned to you.

Yourself & OthersSelect this if you are purchasing more then one of these courses for both yourself and others. One will be assigned to you automatically, and can assign the remainder at any time after you have completed the purchase.

OthersSelect this if you are purchasing one or more of this course for others. You can assign them at any time after you have completed the purchase.

Who must take this course?If a worksite contains atmospheric hazards, the employer must implement practices to keep workers safe. The first line of defense against respiratory hazards is to eliminate or contain them. If possible, the hazardous material should be substituted with one that does not present a hazard. Many times, though, the materials used cannot be replaced. If so, engineering controls, such as ventilation or hood vents, can remove hazardous substances from the area. Administrative controls can also limit employee exposure to hazards by scheduling shifts so that no one is exposed for too long. If these methods are not enough to limit employee exposure to an atmospheric hazard, the employees must use respirators. Employers who require their employees to use respirators must create a written respiratory protection program.

Respiratory hazards can be present in a wide variety of industries and jobs and have the potential to be life-threatening. Respiratory hazards range from asthma-inducing dusts to lethally poisonous gases. Some cannot be seen or smelled. Despite this risk, most deaths and illnesses due to respiratory hazards are preventable. If workers are aware of the dangers and safety measures, they can vastly reduce their risk for overexposure. Furthermore, following proper protocol if overexposure does happen can greatly improve the chances of mitigating the effects. This course provides information specific to the California standards regarding respiratory protection.

This training must be understandable to the employee and must occur at least annually when respirators are required. This training must be conducted before the employee is required to use a respirator. Training must be repeated more than annually if changes in workplace procedures make the previous training obsolete (for instance, if a new type of respirator is being used, or a different type of hazard is present). An employee must also receive additional training if he or she uses a respirator improperly or otherwise indicates that he or she did not understand or remember the information provided in the training.